Failure Is Not An Option, Part 1
by Unknown-Person04
Summary: This is my first story. The first part is a background for the rest of the story, which is based in Future Trunk's timeline while the androids are terrorizing Earth. Unknown to the half-Saiyan or the rest of Earth's inhabitants, the terror doesn't end with the death of the twins. I DO NOT OWN DRAGONBALL Z!
1. Introduction

BOOM! The ground lurched violently as another building went up in flames. Terrified screams could be heard through the thick smoke and piercing the hot night air. A small girl was running from house to house, knocking on doors and urging others to get somewhere safe.

"Come on! Get into the cellar!" she shouted as she knocked on another door. The young family inside looked up with terrified expressions. Fear was in their eyes; they had given up hope. The father stood.

"There's no point, Yusira. This is the end for all of us; don't you see? Don't try to prolong our fate." His eyes were red, as if he had been crying for a long time. Yusira growled, frustrated. "Just do as I say!" she pleaded. "If we all die, then I'd rather die knowing I tried to fight back, instead of cowering and accepting my fate." That seemed to work. Slowly, each of them nodded and headed for the small hidden trapdoor in the corner of the room. The girl moved the rug back in place and ran back outside.

More explosions shook the planet; she staggered drunkenly against a broken wall. _I have to keep going! No matter what!_ Yusira was limping now, but did it matter? No. _This is what Father would have wanted,_ she whispered over and over, like a spoken charm. Once, a few tears fell down her face, but she quickly wiped them away. As far as she knew, all her friends and family were dead; really there was no reason for her to stay alive. Nevertheless, she fought defiantly through the air that threatened to smother her small world.

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BOOM! One of the houses suddenly went up in flames_. Too bad this is starting to get boring,_ thought Brakil._ I wish I had an opponent, but these little people seem to be content with running and screeching as death approached_. He fired at a group of them, incinerating some and throwing the others into another destroyed building.

"Brother! Are you finished with your fun yet?" The bulky figure next to him turned and stared in disbelief. "You mean you don't enjoy this?" he called back over the noise. Brakil sighed.

"I'm saying this isn't fun anymore. All they do is run around like children. I'm getting bored."

He shrugged. "Then lets finish here and move on. The next planet on the nav computer is well known for strong fighters. Maybe one of them will be worth a duel." He smiled. Indeed it was. To top it off, Planet Vegeta wasn't very far from Tepak, a seemingly insignificant planet amidst others. Brakil aimed again at the small figures scurrying around haphazardly. One of them took the brunt of the energy blast and fell backwards. Then, surprisingly, she got back up again and crawled to a hiding spot. "Wait a minute, Thrail. I think I found one that might actually be worth a fight."

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

They were looking straight at her.

The taller one had shot first, and Yusira was still sore from the bright ball of light that hit her broadside. But she was still alive. The young native got up and tried to hide behind a small section of crumbled wall, hoping the two "monsters" hadn't truly noticed her. _Nope, they definitely saw me,_ she thought. Another beam of light streaked towards her, at a frightening speed. Instinctively she rolled out of the way. Staying low, Yusira ran to another shelter, only to have to dodge another fireball. She sprinted to a shack that was barely upright and crouched below the broken support beams. After a bit, it became very quiet, so she peeked out through a hole in the wall. Only one of the two was there! A little curious, and a little bit more scared, she sank to the ground next to the wall and listened.

"Well, hello there. How are you?"

Startled, the girl jumped at the mocking voice and bolted for the nearest exit, but a strong arm knocked her back as if she was a mere insect.

"That's rude. Running away from a poor lonely stranger. Didn't your mother ever teach you how to greet people you don't know?" Yusira got up and tried to escape; he rewarded her efforts with a knee to the gut. She doubled over, coughing. When she tried to get away again, Brakil grabbed a handful of her hair and shook her like a fish while she yelped in pain. She felt for his hand, trying to pull it off. Suddenly she found it and flipped upside down, latching her legs onto his arm. With a swift motion, she pulled her dagger from her belt and lashed out. The slender blade sliced cleanly through her hair, and she let go of his arm. As soon as she hit the ground, she ran as fast as she could. Brakil was left standing there clutching a handful of brown hair.

The girl didn't look back. She just ran.

Brakil tossed the hair in frustration, then, out of spite, incinerated it. Supposedly, burning hair brought bad luck to the owner. He turned to follow her; she had run back to her village.

"Where are you going?" shouted Thrail.

"Finishing the job. I kind of like her; absolutely no training, yet pretty strong and resourceful. I think I might actually have fun today," he tossed over his shoulder. Thrail shrugged, and then went back to his improvised target practice. Brakil turned back and calmly followed the girl; if he chased her at full speed, he might overtake her too soon. Anyway, she might as well see her burning village before she dies.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

Yusira was getting really tired from all this running and fighting. _No amount of training could have prepared me for this,_ she mused. Suddenly, she let out a muffled cry and nearly stumbled over the ridge. The entire village was destroyed! _I thought the massacre had occurred only in the rural clearings, _she moaned inwardly. Many houses were still on fire, but besides the flames and smoke, the place was deathly still. Her running slowed to a hesitant jog downhill, until she heard that menacing voice again, just behind the rise.

"I think I'll give you a nickname… how about Scales! It sounds nice, don't you think?"

Yusira gritted her teeth and ran to the nearest building. _I mustn't respond to his taunts,_ she thought._ I would not only reveal my location, but I would also show my weakness to his words._ They had cut deeply, especially when he had mentioned her mother earlier.

The small tangle of rubble would be suitable for a while, but not long enough. "Surely they came in some sort of ship," she murmured. Planet Tepak had no outer space equipment, much less a ship. The seemingly insignificant planet was almost unknown among others, and the inhabitants never had a reason to leave, until now. Suddenly that wretched hand grabbed her neck and yanked her from under the fallen rocks.

"Want to know _why_ it's such a good name?" he hissed as she struggled. "Because you're covered in such pretty green scales, and unfortunately for you, scales are not tipping in your favor." With this he hurled the poor girl into the crumbling wall headfirst. It toppled under the sheer force of the throw. The blow nearly knocked her unconscious, as she struggled to stand, and fell repeatedly. _No,_ a little voice whispered._ Don't give in. If you do, he will kill you and everyone else. Get up; get up!_ Slowly, she crawled through the debris, fighting to remain awake.

"Where do you think you're going, Scales? Stay and play awhile!" He grabbed her leg and swung her against another wall. The stones were red where Yusira's head had struck them. Desperately, she reached for the knife again, and this time, threw it at his chest with all her might. The tiny ray of hope that flared in her heart died instantly when the sharp screech of metal against a stronger metal filled the air. Contemptuously, he grabbed the front of her tunic and picked up her limp form.

"A knife? That _would_ have been funny, Scales, but I'm not too fond of jok– aaAAHHH!" He dropped the girl as if she was on fire, and gripped his hand in shock. His face was twisted with pain. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" he screamed. Yusira coughed up some blood, wiped her mouth and answered.

"I bit you."

"WHAT? THAT'S IT? THIS ISN'T… AAHHH!"

He crumpled to the ground, but Yusira was already running. It was possible he was still alive, but only just. Without so much as a glance, she ran as fast as she could to the place they landed– right next to her home.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

The smoking crater was still there, and inside were the twin space pods, just as she had first discovered them. She wandered to the edge, hesitated, and then ran to the remains of her home. _Perhaps there is still something I could bring with me_, she pondered. Making a decision, she began sifting through the wreckage, looking for anything useful. After about five minutes of searching, she gave up. All she had were three slabs of meat, her old blowgun with a few darts, some bottles of medicines, and a leather sack to carry it all in. As she was putting away her belongings, she heard a muffled groan, coming from what remained of the house. Cautiously, she moved aside the broken pieces, knife at the ready. Suddenly she sheathed the weapon and began digging with both hands. The moaning quieted for a moment, and Yusira heard labored breathing. She moved one more support beam and there! An older Tepakian closely resembling her lay in the broken heap. "Father?" she whispered, almost not daring to believe. The injured Tepakian slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Yusira."

"Yes, Father?"

"I… I won't last long. But… before I die I want you to… find something for me."

"What is it?" She was trying not to cry; her father could see it.

"There is a small trapdoor… right below where my room was. It has something special… that I made for you."

Yusira ran to the other side of the house. His room was scorched from floor to what was left of the ceiling. It was the only part of the house that was still slightly intact; yet she couldn't help but glance upward at the precarious roof. She quickly found the movable board and pulled out something carefully wrapped in animal hides. She brought this to her father. He nodded and painfully unwrapped it. Inside was a set of specialized armor, the kind she would have earned if she had finished her warrior training. He handed this to her, and said, "This is your armor, beloved daughter; wear it with honor…" As she was examining it, she saw a small object fall from the folds of the leather. Surprised, she picked it up. When her father noticed it, he sighed contentedly. "That is the last thing I have of your mother," he said. "I gave it to her… before she died. Now I give it to you…" His voice failed, and he relaxed completely. Yusira bowed her head, donned the warrior armor, and put the small wooden object on her belt. She was curious to look at it, but there would be time for that on the trip. As for her armor, it was lightweight and flexible, yet strong. She stood and walked to the edge of the great hole in the ground.

Taking one last sorrowful look at her doomed planet, she turned and started down the steep crater.


	2. Evacuation of Tepak- One Passenger

Yusira woke up.

At first, her eyes went wide with alarm as she struggled to remember, but she relaxed after a little while. She had fallen asleep inside the strange space pod en route to wherever the strange planet on the display was. She turned to look back at her planet, but the craft had no rear-facing windows. _Probably a good thing_, she thought, _otherwise I might start crying again._ Reluctantly, she faced the front again and studied the mini map of the planet. It was a pretty blue, laced with white and green. The name was also displayed in tiny letters: Earth.

_What an interesting name! _ She tried saying it, but the word sounded awkward in her mouth. After a few more attempts, she gave up and explored the ship's other functions.

AVAVAVAVAVA

It had been a while since Brakil went to fight the girl, and Thrail was getting impatient. He had killed probably hundreds of these Tepakians, and the rest of them went into hiding. _ A smart choice, but not clever enough,_ he thought as he raided another cellar. He was just about to leave when he heard a small crying noise. Upon further investigation, he found a very young child huddled in the corner. Thrail smirked and whispered almost inaudibly: "Poor child, they have left you all alone. What will you do?" The child whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut, as Thrail's mocking laughter echoed coldly through the basement. He loved terrifying his victims…

Moments later, a high-pitched scream erupted from the smoldering building, accompanied by cruel laughing.

AVAVAVAVAVA

Brakil was dying.

The poisonous bite Yusira had given him was slowly sapping his strength. He tried to lift his wounded arm, but to his surprise, it was too heavy. His breathing was coming in ragged gasps as he fought a losing battle to survive. In his last breaths he cursed the planet, its inhabitants, and that young girl who had delivered his deathblow. Then he was still and spoke no more.

AVAVAVAVAVA

Another explosion shook the ground as the twin androids began attacking Pepper Town. Android 17 and 18 were playing a cruel game: whoever kills the most amount of people wins! So far, 17 had 456 kills and 18 had 454. She fired another energy blast, and her score went up by two.

"No fair, Eighteen. Those were the last two," said Android 17. 18 shrugged and sat down on a particularly large boulder.

"Well, now we're even. Maybe Goldie will show up to give us a tiebreaker."

"That might be fun. Either that or we could carry the score to another city."

Eighteen shook her head. "No. The score resets if we move. I don't want to lose my score."

Number 17 sighed. "Fine. We'll stay. Not for long, though. If Goldie doesn't show up in ten minutes, I'm leaving."

"Looking for me?"

The androids turned at the familiar voice, and Seventeen smiled. "That's really kind of you, Goldie. Now you can be our tiebreaker. First one to kill him wins!" With a shout he and his sister flew at Gohan.

The half-Saiyan powered up instantly and dodged their attacks. The fight went on for nearly an hour, each warrior exchanging blows. However, while the androids had use of both of their arms, Gohan had only one. This was proving to be a serious disadvantage, as he was taking a lot of damage. _No, _he thought, _I won't lose! They will destroy everything if I let them win!_ With a cry of rage, he let loose several Ki blasts towards his enemies. Both were direct hit because of the short range, but the twins shrugged off the blasts almost contemptuously.

"Is that all you got?" 17 shouted at Gohan. Suddenly, the pure-hearted warrior vanished and reappeared behind him, slamming his fist onto the back of his neck. Eighteen flew up and knocked Gohan into a building. Unfazed, he got back up and launched back into battle. The androids were ready for him, though. Seventeen knocked him towards his sister and she sent him flying through a building. Gohan was breathing hard; he knew he was running low on energy.

Ominous storm clouds gathered overhead and, like a dark omen, rain began to fall.

AVAVAVAVAVA

Thrail found his brother.

Not that he felt any pain; for Brakil to lose to such a pathetic race was beyond humiliating. It was better that he had died, for if he hadn't, Thrail would have done it himself. He muttered angrily under his breath. Now he would have to find her and finish the job. There was a blood trail nearby, still slightly wet. It was leading towards the… _No, _he cursed silently and flew as fast as he could to the landing site.

AVAVAVAVAVA

She could see the planet now, like a blue pearl floating in an inky black pond; the stars were silver fish. For about the tenth time, she shifted her weight in the chair and attempted to ease the cramps in her legs. The seat was quite comfortable, but sitting in one position for over an hour was painful. _There isn't much room to move, either,_ thought Yusira as she tried to stretch her legs. Sighing, she gave up and decided to make use of her time, and rest before she arrived.

AVAVAVAVAVA

"Gohan, why'd you have to do it? Why'd you have to leave me? It's just not fair!"

Gohan was laying facedown in the bloody pool. Dead. Trunks came as fast as he could when he felt his master's Ki fade, but it wasn't fast enough.

"You were my best friend; you were everything to me… everything! This just isn't fair!" He clenched his fists; rage began to boil inside. "Gohan… Gohan… GOHAN!" The agony ruptured through his heart, mixing with his anger. His fists were clenched so tightly that they were bleeding, but he didn't care. The ground around him and below began to tremble under the sheer power. Finally, he snapped! His hair spiked upwards and turned a bright golden color, and Trunks was surrounded by a golden aura. His eyes had become a turquoise, and they were filled with pain and hate. Pain because his best friend was dead, and hate towards the monsters that did it.


	3. Landing on Earth and Trunks vs Androids

Thrail cursed. There was only one space pod in the crater; the other one was gone. _Now I'll have to hunt the entire galaxy for her,_ he thought bitterly. _At least she took Brakil's._ He clicked a button, and as the door hissed open, he checked the outer systems to make sure they were still online. Fortunately for him, Yusira hadn't thought of sabotaging his ship, so everything was functioning properly. He activated the display and scrutinized the reddish planet that was shown. Planet Vegeta was the next stop, so she should be there by now. He fired up the engines, and the space pod slowly rose and shot off into the black night.

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THUDD!

"Oww!" Yusira rubbed her forehead where it had struck the front panel. She stopped when she felt dried blood. "Guess I really got beat up back there. Probably best to train a little before the other one finds me." She found the door button and pressed it. It was dark outside, probably a good thing. _I highly doubt the people here have scales; very few aliens do,_ she mused. The ground was still smoking from the impact, and it felt a little warm. Cautiously, she stepped out of the crater and slipped into the trees. With every step, she seemed to become gradually transparent.

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**_Three years later…_**

_"Attention! We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the latest news on Android activities. Bridge Town is currently under attack! The southbound interstate is the only route out of the city that hasn't been destroyed! I repeat: Bridge Town is under attack!" _

Bulma stopped her work and looked back at her son. "You're not planning on going, right?"

Trunks clenched his fists. "I have to! I'm not going to just let them die!" He turned and ran out the door.

"Trunks! Stop! We could use the Time Machine!" she yelled after him, but he was already gone. Bulma hung her head and silently prayed that Trunks would come home in one piece.

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_Where is it? I don't see Planet Vegeta._ Thrail looked at the display, then back to the empty space. "It should be right here; did I miss something?" He restarted the hologram, in hopes it would work this time. The text on the panel read: Planet Vegeta: 100km; touchdown initiating. "This isn't right. Perhaps…" he trailed off as he looked more closely where the planet should have been. There was plenty of red debris floating outside. _Did someone blow it up?_ Thrail growled in frustration. It didn't really matter what had happened; he needed to find the girl. He turned off the landing gear and switched the display to the next planet on his list: Earth.

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In a small cave somewhere in the desert, Yusira finally took the wooden shell thing out of her pack and sat down with it. There were several holes on the curves, and at one end, a curiously shaped mouthpiece. Experimentally, she blew through it, and a deep note greeted her ears. _So it's some kind of… instrument,_ she thought. She covered some of the holes, and this time a shrill sound escaped. Yusira jumped, and looked around fearfully to see if anyone heard. Reassured by continued silence, she played around with it for a while, until an impatient groaning interrupted her. Laughing quietly, she swapped the shell for her longbow and set out towards the trees in the distance.

She definitely wasn't looking for trouble.

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"AAHHH!"

Trunks lay facedown in the dirt, coughing up blood. His hair changed from golden to normal. Seventeen smiled.

"Look, he's not a natural blonde," he said. Eighteen flipped her hair, feigning annoyance.

"Of course. Everyone's _always_ trying to copy me." She shook her head. "This is getting old."

Seventeen walked to Trunk's nearly motionless form and put his foot on his head. "Here! I'll take care of this little problem right now!" He stepped back and raised his hand. "Be gone!"

"Wait!" Eighteen stepped in front of her brother. "Let me finish this." She raised her arms, and a huge yellow ball of Ki formed. "HaaAAAAA!" Her cry mingled with Trunk's helpless scream.

That was the last thing Yusira wanted to hear.

The bird she had been aiming at let out a warning cry and flew away. Yusira fired in vain at her fleeing prey, but it was futile. Disappointed, she pulled her arrow out of the tree and turned towards where the noise had come from. She hadn't eaten since the day before, and as a result, was in poor fighting condition. _But if I stay hidden… _

Making a decision, she sped to the ruined city nearby.

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The small blue planet was shining in the distance, but Thrail took no notice of the beauty. It was only a rock floating in space, as far as he was concerned. A rock that hid his next victim, who had somehow escaped last time. Thrail growled at this thought. _Whatever had happened in the past, she will die this time. _An idea occurred to him, and he smiled. _I will make it as painful as possible…_

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Well, that's it. I hope you liked it. Please R&R so I can make my next one better!


	4. Escaping the Androids

Android 18 stepped back from her handiwork. "Hm. Pathetic human. Too bad he didn't last long." She turned and started walking away.

Seventeen frowned. "Well, that's disappointing. Now we don't have a plaything anymore. I doubt anyone on this planet will give us a good fight." He followed his sister, but a small flicker of life energy caught his attention. Shocked, he turned and stared at Trunks. "He's not… dead?" He walked closer, until he realized the energy wasn't coming from the fallen warrior. "Wait a minute, sis. I think we missed someone."

_Don't move; don't move! _Yusira held her breath as the twins started towards her hiding place. _I have to trust the camouflage_. Even though she knew they couldn't see her, somehow, they knew exactly where she was.

Seventeen stopped in front of the ruined wall. "I don't get it. I can sense someone's energy right here, but there's no one here." _Am I malfunctioning? No. That isn't possible._ "Come on, get out here! I can feel your energy; there's no use hiding!"

_Apparently there is,_ thought Yusira grimly as she stared face to face with the androids. Except, they couldn't see her. Her mouth twitched into a smile as she watched them look around, confused and agitated. "I'm getting impatient!" yelled the black-haired boy. "Come out now, or I flatten this entire city!" "Just do it, Seventeen," said his sister. "Whoever it is won't come out because you're shouting at the top of your lungs. Besides, if Copy-cat here happens to be alive, he'll get a nice alarm clock to wake him up."

"Alright then," he said and jumped into the air; his twin followed. Together, they put their hands out, palms facing the city. Soon, small glowing orbs appeared in their hands as they hovered above.

_I have to get out of here,_ Yusira whispered. She glanced over to the purple-haired boy. _He's not dead; I can feel it. How am I supposed to save us both? _ She stared in dismay as the twin orbs grew brighter and bigger. Hoping they wouldn't see her silhouette, she started crawling over to him.

"I'll give you one more chance, you coward! I'm going to count to five, and then there will be nothing. If you show yourself before that, I _might _let you go. Five!"

Eighteen rolled her eyes at her brother but held her hand up anyway.

"Four!"

_Almost there!_ Yusira was only a few feet away. _Don't move._

"Three!"

_Yes! _She pulled herself the rest of the way and rested for a bit. _What now?_

"Two!" The balls of energy condensed to a very small circle of light in their hands. Seventeen smiled.

"ONE!" In unison, they cast the small pinpoints of destruction to the ground. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Desperately, Yusira leaped away at the last moment, dragging the boy with her.

The ground shook from the impact, and the air became immensely hotter. She did her best to shield the both of them, but her efforts were clearly useless. She felt her scales ache from the heat, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. She glanced over to the fighter. To her surprise, he seemed to be taking no damage. The searing pain finally got the best of her and she blacked out.

Thrail's space pod zipped by the grey moon and towards the cloud-covered planet. "This is pathetic. How did she kill Brakil? She was definitely weaker than him," he muttered as he prepared the landing gear. Slowly, the circular craft decelerated, and landed somewhat softly on the city outskirts. The door hissed open, and Thrail stepped out. _This place is a mess,_ he thought. A tempting idea formed in his head, but he pushed it away. "Naah. I'll have some fun later," he said. He jumped up and flew into the distance, towards the desert…

As the dust cleared around the two still fighters, one of them started to move. She crawled to her knees and rested for a moment, before moving to the other motionless figure.

"Come on, wake up. They're gone now; you're safe. Please don't die." _I've seen way too many deaths_, Yusira added silently. She sighed and picked him up over her shoulder. "Better get you home. Where do you live?" Naturally, he didn't answer. Suddenly she noticed the logo on his jacket. "Capsule Corps? I think I know where that is," she mused. With that, she took off to in the direction where Trunks had flown earlier that day.

Someone was knocking on the door. Bulma glanced back at her time machine, and then made her way upstairs. "I'm coming," she called. To her shock, there was a young teenage girl standing in the doorway. Her clothes were torn in some places, and she was holding someone on her shoulder. _Wait a minute_, thought Bulma as she started to recognize the person. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you Trunks? Please excuse my rudeness, come in!"

Yusira stepped inside and followed Bulma to a small room. "Set him here," said Bulma. "I'm really sorry, is there anything I can get for you?" When Yusira shook her head, Bulma exclaimed, "You must tell me what happened! Was it the Androids?"

The tired girl nodded. "If you're talking about those two monster people, then yes. I didn't see all of it; I heard screaming and ran as fast as I could to the town."

"Well, thanks for everything you did. By the way, I'm Bulma, Trunk's mother. Who are you?"

Yusira hesitated, but decided against lying. "My name is Yusira."

"Have you met Trunks before?"

She shook her head. "No. He was unconscious when I got there. I did notice that he had managed to make the androids mad, and that says a lot." Bulma was silent for a while, as Yusira caught her breath. "I have to go," she said. "Don't tell him it was me; I need to remain as anonymous as possible." Bulma winked at her as she finished bandaging Trunks' injuries.

"Leave it to me. Now don't go get yourself killed; stay away from those androids! Be safe, and I hope we meet again. You seem like a nice person."

Yusira blushed modestly. "Thanks," she replied. "You're really kind as well. Live strong, hunt well." She covered her mouth, embarrassed, when she realized what she said.

Bulma looked at her, confused. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"I'm sorry, it's just an old habit. I need to leave; thanks for everything." She dashed out the door and ran away. Bulma followed her and watched the rapidly receding figure.

"What a strange girl," Bulma murmured. Just then, she heard a soft groan from the bedroom. "I'm coming, Trunks! Don't worry, mommy's here." She hurried back to the bedside.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at his mother. "I'm sorry, mom. I thought I could take them, I really thought I could. They were just too strong."

"Hey, don't worry about it! You're safe now, that's all that matters to me." She gently moved a stray hair from his face.

"Mom, is the time machine ready? I'd like to take the antidote to Goku now."

Bulma laughed softly. "You don't even know if you have any arms or legs under there! Just rest for now, and when you are better, you can get ready for the trip."

He nodded. "Right. Thanks mom." He drifted back to sleep, and Bulma watched for a little while.

"My brave warrior. I bet you can't wait to meet your father. Well, you might be disappointed." She sighed and went back downstairs to finish the time machine.


	5. Trunks Goes to the Past

_That was a close one. Next time I have to be more careful._ Yusira slowed from a run to a slow jog and gradually to a walk. "Bummer. I finally meet a new friend, and the first thing I do is embarrass myself." She sighed and stepped inside the cave that had become her home. _Wait a minute;_ she paused in midstride. _Something's not right here…_ She backed out carefully, listening for anything suspicious.

"Well, long tome, no see. How have you been fairing?"

Her breath caught in her lungs. Then she really chocked when a hand shot out of the dark and grabbed her throat. Franticly, she clawed at it, gasping for air.

"Having some trouble? Here, let me give you a lift." Thrail picked her up, and _flew_ out of the cavern! Yusira's heart lurched at the sudden increase in height; she had never flown before. "Yaaah!" He flung her towards the ground far below. Yusira screamed as the sand rapidly rose up to meet her. At the last moment, she flipped over so she barely escaped landing on her head. It still hurt. She gasped in fright when she looked up and realized he was standing right in front of her. Jumping backwards, she narrowly missed his fist, but not the kick he followed up with. With a grunt of surprise, she crashed into a rock formation.

"There's no way I can beat him," she coughed. "He's just too strong." The young Tepakian watched as her enemy calmly advanced to her. She stood shakily, pushing the broken stones off of herself as she prepared to run. In a few moments, she was completely invisible. Thrail stopped in front of the rock pile and laughed.

"You really think that little trick will work against me?" He focused on her energy, quickly pinpointing her location. "Nice try." She gasped in shock as a beam of light caught her dead on. However, living in this apocalyptic world, she had long ago discovered how to escape this situation. Acting quickly, she rolled backwards, with the momentum of the blast. Before Thrail could see what had happened, she was already many miles away.

"No!" he shouted, but it was too late. She had slipped through his fingertips for the second time. "Curse her," he muttered. There was no use chasing her down again. He would just have to wait until she showed herself. Thrail cursed again as he headed towards the burning city nearby. He hated waiting.

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"Hey, Mom," said Trunks as he headed downstairs. "Is that time machine ready yet?"

"Almost," Bulma replied. "I just have to add a few adjustments." She frowned as she concentrated on fitting the wires in the right places. "Come on, cooperate with me," she mumbled. "Just about, there! It's finished. Now all I have to do is set the time zone."

Trunks smiled at his beaming mother. "Great!"

"You don't know how proud I am of you right now, Trunks," she said as she fiddled with the controls. "You look so handsome! I'm going to miss you so much, son." When she finished, she climbed back down and pulled a tiny glass bottle out of her pocket.

Her son nodded. "I'm guessing this is the antidote for Goku?"

"Yep." Bulma handed the little vial to Trunks. "Do me a favor and don't drop it, please."

The to-be time traveller laughed gently. "I won't. Stay safe while I'm gone, alright?"

A familiar gleam lit up her eyes. "Oh, you know me Trunks."

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried!" He jumped up into the cockpit and waved farewell.

"Trunks! You'd better come back!"

He grinned and turned on the machine, closing the windshield. "Love you, Mom. I'll see you later."

"I love you too, Trunks!" she shouted over the noise. Slowly, the time machine rose from the ground. It hovered for a moment, and then with a flash of light, was off to the past. "I only wish you knew how much," she whispered.

He was gone, just like that. Bulma stayed a minute longer, staring at the empty sky. Sighing, she turned to head back to the house, but stopped short and gasped. A strange, heavily muscled creature barred her way. "Uh… wh… who are you?" she stammered. The alien only grinned and began walking menacingly towards her. Bulma took a step back for each one he stepped forwards. Suddenly, he stopped and held up one of his hands, palm facing her. A yellow orb formed, and slowly it grew in size and brightness. Bulma knew what that was, and immediately began to run.

Thrail watched the little person flee and laughed maniacally. He drew back his arm and threw it at the small form. There was a scream, then an explosion, and when the dust cleared, only a small crater remained. A smirk spread across his face, and he left to deal with the other people. Anyways, while he was waiting, he might as well have some fun.

ıııııııı

"Bulma, it's alright now; he's gone."

Bulma opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground, at the edge of a forest. Shocked, she sat up, looking around. Her eyes met with the young girl whom she had seen only a few days ago.

"Yusira? How? I… I was hit by that Ki blast!" She rubbed her head, trying to remember. "At least I thought I was."

Yusira shook her head. "Nope. I pushed you out of the way. Do me a favor and never go near that guy. He's worse than the androids." As she was saying this, she made a quick mental note: Ki blast=light beam thing.

"Worse? No kidding." Bulma stood and, with the help of her friend, limped back to the house.

"I'm sorry for hurting your leg," apologized the girl. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard." Bulma shrugged.

"I much prefer a hurt leg to being obliterated. Thanks for saving my life."

Yusira blushed modestly. "Your welcome." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is there anywhere we can talk privately?"

Bulma was a little confused by the question. "Well, yeah, in my basement. Why?"

"I think you deserve to know more about me, as well as that monster who tried to kill you. In fact, he's the reason I'm even here." They stepped inside, Bulma gingerly leading the way. When they arrived down the flight of stairs, she turned to the Tepakian, who was looking a little nervous.

"Alright, what is it?" she asked gently.

Yusira took a deep breath, and then began. "I am not a human. I am actually an alien from the planet Tepak. That… monster, along with his brother, killed my entire race and destroyed the planet. I managed to escape by stealing one of their space pods. The destination was set to Planet Vegeta, but I knew it was long gone, so I skipped it. The next place on the list was Earth."

"That means the other guy went on a goose chase and missed you entirely."

She nodded. "Yep. When I landed here about three years ago, I hid, because I didn't know enough about you guys. I saw the androids several times, but I never showed myself until your son needed help."

Bulma nodded thoughtfully, then frowned when she realized a missing point. "Back up; what happened to the alien's brother?"

A slight grin twitched at the corner of the girl's mouth. "He's dead. I killed him."

"What, really?" The blue-haired woman stared at her with a new expression. "You don't look _that _strong. How did you do it?"

The smirk faded almost as fast as it had appeared. "Well, I…" she hung her head. "I poisoned him." Bulma gasped in shock. "I had to! He was going to kill me; it was the only way!" Yusira protested.

"I understand that, but how did you poison him?"

The alien pointed to her canine teeth, which Bulma now noticed, were shaped like fangs. "I bit him. My venom is extremely lethal, but I rarely use it. It is a _only_ last resort."

"I see," she murmured. Lost in thought, she turned and headed upstairs; Yusira followed, a little forlornly. "I wish you could have met Trunks, but he just left for the past."

"The past?" the girl exclaimed. "You're kidding!"

Bulma's eyes gleamed with pride. "Nope. I built a time machine, and he's going to help out our friends who were killed by the androids."

"Wow," she murmured. "I've never known anything like it. It's incredible."

"I just hope he gets back soon enough so he can finish off the androids in our time." She sighed as she looked out a window. "He'd better come back."


	6. Leaving West City

I decided to put it a little bit of Trunk's experiences in the future, just for the fun of it. Hope you like it!

_Wow, it really works!_ thought Trunks as the machine flew backwards in time. _ I can't wait to finally meet Father._ After a few minutes of watching the rapidly changing landscape, Trunks noticed the numbers on the time dials beginning to spin more slowly, so he readied the landing gear. Finally, the ground below became more visible through the clouds as the ship lowered in preparation for landing. The hydraulics installed in the landing gear cushioned the machine's touchdown. Trunks shut off the engine and opened the hatch, looking around critically before jumping out.

_It would be best to hide the time machine; there's no telling who might try to use it, _he mused as he pressed a button. _Plus,_ _if this is destroyed, I'll have no way to get home._ With a bang and a poof of dust, the large device was reduced to a small, two-inch capsule. This he dropped into his pocket, and at the same time, reassured himself that the antidote was still safe. Trunks glanced at his watch and sped off when a large alien ship of some kind appeared in the horizon.

"I understand your urgency to stay hidden, but please stay! There is plenty of food and space, and when Trunks gets back, he could help you."

Yusira was standing at the doorway, weighing her options. Despite Bulma's offer, she shook her head.

"When Trunks comes back? I'm sorry, but if I stay here, all he will find is destruction. Even though the monster thinks you are dead, he knows I am not. He'll come looking for me, and destroy everything in the process."

Bulma's eyes widened in shock. "You're not kidding?" When she saw the look in the alien's eyes, she continued, "Alright. Wait for me, please; I'll be back in a minute." She hurried to her room. When she came back, she was carrying a small box. "This should do."

Yusira walked over to her, curious. "What is that?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the mysterious object.

Smiling, the blue-haired woman opened it and showed her the contents: about a dozen small containers, all labeled and color-coded. "They're capsules." Noticing the confused expression on her friend, she explained further: "When you press this button on the top, the capsule expands and opens to an object of some kind; for example, this one is a boat." She took out a blue capsule labeled, "0-21", pressed the button, and tossed it a small distance. With a pop and a puff of dust, the small object instantly transformed itself to a high-tech motorboat, startling Yusira. Continuing her explanation, she walked to the boat and pushed another button on the console. "When you are finished using it, you can turn it back to normal." She placed the capsule back in the box. "Understand?"

Lost in thought, Yusira nodded slowly. "I think so. What is in the other ones?"

Bulma considered the question as she clamped the box shut. "Along with the boat, there is a miniplane, a car, a house, plenty of food and water, several changes of clothes, supplies for repairs, four empty capsules, and a mystery one." With a glimmer in her eye, she placed the box in a backpack. "I suppose you have a destination plan?"

"Destination plan? Wait, you're not coming along, are you?" She stared in amazement at Bulma, who promptly nodded.

"Of course I'm coming!"

When Yusira still didn't speak, she went over to the table and grabbed a pen and paper.

"I'm going to leave a message for Trunks when he gets back. That way, he can find us later."

"What if the androids find the note, or worse, the monster? They will easily track us down!"

Bulma sighed as she started writing. "Trunks was always fascinated by secret codes when he was little. He even developed his own and taught it to me. I hope he remembers it." After a bit, her pen stopped and she looked at Yusira. "Now where are we going?"

Her head still spinning from the latest surprise, Yusira answered a little hesitantly. "There is a desert a little ways to the west. I have a small cave there, but I'm only going there to pack up to find a new home. After that, it's going to be a deadly game of cat and mouse."

The pen scratched the paper for a little while longer, until Bulma folded it up and placed it in a little fireproof container. Immediately, she started out the door, slinging her pack over her shoulder, and closely followed by Yusira.

"So, are you planning on walking the whole way, or do you have some other mean of transportation?"

The question caught Yusira by surprise, and she stopped, confused. "That's the only way I have ever traveled on this planet. Back home, I had a striped rescal, but I can see there are none of those here."

"What does a rescal look like?"

The girl frowned slightly, then answered. "They sort of look like a large lizard with powerful hind legs and slightly smaller front legs. They are very agile, and they can run for long distances. They are difficult to ride because they like to dodge around anything in sight. Mine was a deep green with violet stripes across its back and neck." After this, she fell silent, and for a good while the only sound was Bulma's boots and Yusira's bare feet on the hard-packed dirt.

Bulma considered the determined girl as they walked, slightly amazed and a little sympathetic. _ It's incredible, how she can go through all this and keep going. I hope my little gift can make it up to her._ When the ground became dry and sandy, the orphan slowed until they were creeping around one of the large boulders that were dotting the horizon. After rock-hopping four or five times, Yusira motioned for her companion to stay put.

_If I can stay quiet enough, maybe I can grab my things and return without being noticed,_ she thought. Slowly, she relaxed her muscles and closed her eyes…

Bulma nearly cried out in alarm as the young girl gradually became transparent. Quickly, an invisible hand clamped over her mouth and muffled her voice. Eyes wide, she cautiously felt the hand and pulled it off. Struggling to regain her composure, she whispered, "Yusira, is that you? Where'd you go?" She was hushed by her friend, and in an equally quiet voice, the alien answered, "Don't worry, I'm alright. I'll explain later, when it's safe. Now, just stay here; I'll be right back."


End file.
